Until Dawn: The Night Is Darkest
by Master of Chronicles
Summary: Four years after Blackwood Pines, Sam gets a call that one of her friends are no longer who they used to be. She already lost three friends, and she does not want to lose another! (This is based on the game's Best Ending)
1. Chapter 1

**After experiencing the game, this is one of two stories knocking around in my brain, and I wanted to share it. Liking Sam and Mike as characters, it's fun to explore how they could changed after living such a brutal nightmare.**

 **Please read and comment your thoughts. Will be three chapters long.**

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Chapter One

Four years after incident.

6:15 pm

Sam was at home after a long days work, doing chores in her small downtown apartment, her long, blond hair tied back in a tail, hands deep in soapy water cleaning dirty dishes absentmindedly. It was early winter, everything outside her windows was cloaked in darkness, making Sam uncomfortable. For the past several years she couldn't help but hate winter nights. To help keep herself distracted from the gnawing sensation that she was being watched, Sam began to hum her favorite song.

It wasn't helping as much as she would've liked.

Unexpectedly, Sam's ringtone began to sound. Quickly drying her hands on a used towel, Sam picked up her phone and checked the caller I.D.

"What the hell?" Sam saw that the caller was Jessica, whom she hadn't seen or spoken to since shortly after...that night. Touching the screen, Sam accepted the call. "Jess, this is a surprise!"

"Hey Sam, it's Matt." The kind and familiar voice of the former high school linebacker sounded apologetic.

"Matt! Oh my god, it's great to hear from you!" Sam smiled, "How are you? Why are you calling from Jessica's phone?"

"Umm...I'm good, I guess. College didn't really pan out...but I'm doing my best." The young man didn't sound like himself, Sam felt. He seemed...distracted. "Anyway...um...Jess and I are together now. It's been, like, two years. That's why I'm using her phone."

Sam was shocked. When did Jess and Mike-? He had seemed to happy to discover she had survived the fall into the mines, Sam was sure Mike and Jess were going to stay together.

"That's...nice." Sam meant to sound more genuine, but utterly failed.

"Lucky guy, I guess. Things just got too hard with Em after...you know...that day. It wasn't healthy for us to stay together. Jess and I decided to catch up one night, so we spent several weeks talking and hanging out. Next thing we knew we had feelings for each other. Crazy, right?"

"That's sweet." This time Sam actually meant it. "How serious is it between you two?"

"Well, it's not a Chris and Ashely relationship, but it's close. Maybe all Jess and I need to be set for life is to get caught in a death trap where I sacrifice myself to save her, right?"

It was an attempt at humor which neither of them felt was very funny. There was a second of awkward silence.

"How are they, by the way?" Matt finally said. "Chris and Ash. Last I heard they had a baby?"

"They have two, actually." Sam once again found a reason to smile. "Girls. Their names are-"

"Hannah and Beth?" Matt guessed.

"...No." Sam's smile disappeared. "Diane and Martina."

"Oh..." She could hear Matt sighing on the other side of the line. "I'm not very good at this catching up stuff, am I?"

"At least you're trying." Sam said encouragingly, though she felt stinging pain in her heart. Naming your children after a tragedy was something only done in the movies. It was like calling your kid Katrina.

Sam felt it was time to change the subject. "So Matt, after all this time, why the surprise call?"

The hesitation on the other end made Sam realize she had just forced Matt into something he had been avoiding up until then.

"Something is wrong with Mike." Matt stated plainly, his voice taking on a very serious tone. "Jessica has been trying to talk with him for a while now. But he isn't returning any of our calls or emails. No one else I've managed to get in touch with has seen or heard from him in a few months. He dropped out of college, isolated himself from his family. He's just...acting very weird. Sam, have you talked to him at all lately?

"No, I haven't." She admitted

"It's freaking Jessica out. She told me that his distant attitude was why they broke up, but it was never this bad. She even claims that he hasn't hooked up with a girl since they split. I have no idea how she would know that, but I believe her. Anyway, I was calling because I wanted to ask if you could...I don't know...possibly talk to him?" Matt sounded like he was wincing when he asked that last question.

Sam stood in silence for a moment, the news slowly sinking in. Mike cutting everyone off? That didn't sound like him at all. Sure, Mike has always had commitment issues, but he loved being around people.

Matt continued. "It really could be nothing, but I know Jess would feel a whole lot better if you could check up on him."

Sam looked at her clock hanging on the wall. It was a little after 6:30 pm, plenty of time to drive across town to Mike's place. However part of her was reluctant. Maybe it was none of her business. All Sam knew for sure was that a friend needed her help.

"Okay, I will." Sam answered confidently.

Matt gave let out a breath of relief. "Thanks, Sam. It will mean a lot to Jess. I have to go. We'll take later, okay?"

"Okay."

"Great. Bye."

And with that, he was gone.

Sam stared at her phone. What was going on with Mike? Deep down she knew what the real problem was. It was the same problem they all had. But Mike had seen things when he went to that Sanatorium, experienced more then most of the group of friends had combined, and had two missing fingers on his left hand to prove it. And now Mike was doing the one thing he usually never did; be alone.

Grabbing her dark blue jacket, red scarf and car keys, Sam headed out the door. It was snowing outside, which stopped her dead at the entrance of her apartment building. The world was covered in a soft layer of white, just has it had been that night 4 years earlier. Sam had loved the snow all her life up until that point. But now, whenever she walked in the cold, crisp snowfall, she kept seeing pools of blood in the corner of her eye.

Unlike most of her friends, Sam hadn't pursued any professional help after the events at Blackwood Pines. That decision led to years of pent up stress and anxiety until she finally realized she couldn't fight that battle alone and began talking about it with a professional. Chris and Ash had coped by supporting and loving one another, which it worked for them. It seemed Matt and Jess were following suit. Emily did what she did best; blame everyone else. But what had Mike done?

Sam got the feeling she was going to find out, one way or another.

 _To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**The title, The Night Is Darkest, is a reference to the line 'The night is darkest just before the dawn', so I thought this was fitting for the overall theme. Was I right? Who knows!**

 **Thanks to all those who have read so far!**

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Chapter Two

Mike's Apartment Building  


7:45 pm

As she drove into the parking lot, Sam could see the lights were on at Mike's place, three stories up the building. Great! She hadn't tried calling because if he was acting like Matt suggested, he wouldn't see her. The downside to that was she wasn't sure he was going to be home. He was. So far, so good.

Sam had only ever seen Mike's apartment once. It was during a party, of course, and after one too many shots Mike had drunkenly tried to kiss her, claiming he 'accidentally' thought she was Jessica. At the time it had seem plausible enough, since they were both blond, but Sam believed Mike was faking and had been hitting on her. They never fully kissed, but Sam couldn't resist giving him a small peck in the corner of his mouth that day. Yes, Mike was a skirt chaser, but he was a damn _handsome_ one. It also might've helped that she had taken a few shots herself.

Sam's mind raced about what to say to her old friend after she entered the building and began climbing the stairs. Should she just jump right into it? Should she make small talk first? What was the best way to handle a situation in which she had no clue what was going to happen?

Finding herself in front of his door, Sam took a steady breath to gather herself, raised her hand and knocked.

For a moment there was complete silence, even more so than before, as though she had disturbed the entire building. Sam had even stopped breathing without realizing it.

Then she saw the peephole darken.

"Hello?" Sam said aloud.

There was an unlocking sound and the door swung open.

"Can I help you, young lady?"

Sam was stunned to see, not Mike, but a large, middle aged women with greying red haired dressed in a nightgown far too thin for modesty.

"S-sorry, but does Mike Munroe still live here?" _Or did you eat him,_ was what Sam decided not to say. It seemed Chris' brand of bad humor had rubbed off on her.

The heavy women looked down at Sam for a moment. "Are you his weekend girl?"

"Excuse me?" Sam said with a bit of an edge in her voice. "Mike is a friend. I'm trying to find him."

"No, eh? Well, you should be, a little firecracker like you. That boy needs straightening out." The older women limply waved her hand in the direction of the stairs. "He moved out of here a while ago, lives in one of the basement rooms. He wanted to switch apartments for some reason, something about not wanting any windows."

"He switched apartments with you?" Sam asked, confused.

The woman nodded. "I told him no at first, because the rooms get more expensive the higher off the ground they are, but he said he would continue paying for this place and I would pay for my old room. The boy is nuts, but the deal was too good to pass up."

"What room?" Sam asked patiently.

"008. The middle 0 is missing." Was the reply.

"Thank you." Sam said as she walked away.

"You want my advice?" The woman called out, stopping Sam before she got to the stairs. "Get him fixed up or leave him behind. Some people can't be saved."

Sam wholeheartedly disagreed with that statement.

Once in the basement, Sam wasted no time finding the door and giving hit a firm knock, all the while more questions flooded her brain. Just what was Mike up to?

The door opened faster than Sam had anticipated, leaving her speechless as she looked up at the man she had come to see.

"Sam?" Mike's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Mike..." Sam said back, unsure of what to do, shocked by his appearance.

Mike had always taken good care of himself. Being well dressed, groomed, clean shaven and intelligent was one of many reasons why so many girls loved him in high school. But she was looking at an entirely different man. He had lost weight, the skin of his face clinging to his skull. He had two weeks worth of stubble on his chin and his hair was long and unkempt. His face was a sickly pale and he no longer stood straight, but hunched slightly forward.

Sam covered her mouth with her hands, unable to believe what she was seeing. "Oh Mike!"

Despite his initial appearance, Mike flash her one of his classic grins. "That bad, huh?"

"What happened? Michael Munroe, what have you done to yourself?!" Sam was demanding more than asking, not realizing how loud her voice was getting.

Mike opened the door wide and gestured her to come in, looking about uncomfortably. "Let's not get the entire complex in on this, okay?"

Stepping inside, Sam noticed how much smaller and dank his new apartment was, with no windows and only a single light bulb in the living room area. The place smelled stale and vaguely of unwashed socks, but nothing as bad as Sam had experienced in college. However, Mike was by the far the worst looking part of his home.

"Jess sent you, didn't she?" Mike guessed as he waddled his way to his couch, falling on it more than sitting. "Or was it Matt? I bet it was Matt."

Sam simply stood at the entrance, gently closing the door behind her. "Where's all your stuff? Your trophies, all those model posters you loved? That table your grandparents gave you?"

Mike sighed as he raised his arms and laced his fingers behind his head. "Sold most of it. Needed the money."

"For what?" Sam removed her coat and scarf, sitting in the only chair Mike had in the entire place.

"I'm not doing drugs, Samantha." Mike tried to sound reassuring, but only managed to sound exhausted. "And I'm not drinking it away...mostly. I've been working really hard and haven't had much time to rest, which is why I look like this. Really, Sam, there's no need to worry."

Sam looked around. "Clearly I do."

Sighing, Mike leaned forward, elbows on his knees, staring intently at Sam. "So, what did you come here to do? You think I'm going off some kind of deep end?"

"I didn't say that." Sam argued defensively.

"Well, everyone else does. Jess has tried talking to me. So has Matt, my parents, and my brothers. Even Em tried coming around. She was threatening to sue for almost shooting her through the eye, but she did try. So, Sam, what are you here for?" Mike said stiffly.

"Truthfully?" Sam said with no hesitation. "I think you need to talk about what happened."

"You mean that night at the lodge?" Mike asked.

"All of it." Sam said back.

"What's to tell?" Mike asked. "We were interviewed. No one believed us. We were a blip on national news for a few weeks and then the world stopped caring."

"I never stopped caring, Mike." Sam insisted. "And neither has Chris, Ash, Matt, Jess or Em, in her own way. The seven of us know the truth, and we can only deal with that together."

Mike snorted. "Oh sure! We've worked so well healing each other. Do you remember that little, what were Chris and Ash calling it, 'reunion' two years ago? How many people showed up?"

"...Just me." Sam shamefully admitted.

"Not even the lovebirds who organized the damn thing attended!" Mike pointed out bitterly. "We don't heal from this, Sam. We survive it. The pain get's dull, we learn to limp on and continue our petty existence. That's it, end of story!"

"So why push Jess away? If your whole idea is to move on, why do that to the girl I genuinely thought might be the first one you wouldn't run out on?" She knew it wasn't wise to use Jessica get to Mike, but Sam's emotions were starting to get the upper hand of her calmness.

Mike's smirk looked more like a sneer as he eased back into the couch. "Relationship advice from the girl who thought she had a connection with a psychopath? There's a punchline somewhere in there."

It was like a cold fist suddenly grabbed her heart as Mike's last words left his lips. As Sam's face fell, a glint of regret flashed in Mike's eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Sam. I didn't-"

"Just shut up..." Sam said all too calmly. "I was trying, dammit. Josh lost his sisters, partially because of you, and I tried to be there for him whenever and however I could. Psychopath? Try damaged! Try hurt and messed up because his heart was crushed! Try-!"

Sam stopped herself, letting out a breath of hot air through her nose."I shouldn't have come."

"Sam..." Mike tried to speak.

"No! This was a mistake, so I'm going to leave right now. Good-bye, Mike."

Without another word Sam rose, put her coat and scarf back on and left Mike's apartment as he looked on. As she numbly walked down the hall to the stairs, cold tears started to drop from her eyes. It had been years since she lost Josh, but the pain was still too fresh, too present for her to handle, even though she thought it long gone. Why would Mike say such a thing? Why would he intentionally twist that knife in her side?

"It's like he's doing it on purpose!" She hissed at herself, out the door and walking to her car. "He wants to push everyone away? Fine! See if we care! He could vanish tomorrow and no one would give a sh-"

It wasn't until she was putting the keys into her car door that it hit her. The answer was so simple it had been the last thing she would've ever considered. But for Mike it made perfect sense. Why was he pushing everyone away? The same reason he took off to find the cable-car key on his own that terrible day four years earlier; to protect everyone.

Turning around, Sam hurried back down the stairs, marched back to room 0 8, and knocked so hard she hurt her knuckles. This time Mike didn't open right away, but when he did his eyes were red, a sign he had been crying himself.

"What is it now-?" He began to say.

"You're going back to that mountain, aren't you?" Sam demanded. "You're planning on going back to make sure there aren't any of those things left!"

Mike closed his eyes, finally exposed. "Dammit..."

 _To be concluded..._


	3. Chapter 3

**The final chapter is here! I might write another story based on the second idea I had, but we'll see what the feedback is on this one first.**

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Chapter 3

Mike's Apartment

9:03 pm

Sam was calm again, even though she wanted to burst. Mike had made coffee and agreed to talk. Sam held her cup with both hands, warming her fingers since Mike's place was just too cold. Mike left his coffee untouched on the cheap, plastic table in front of him, deep in thought.

On the floor between them laid out in an organized pattern were maps, survival gear, hand guns, assault rifles, ammo, a home-made flamethrower and knives so big Sam felt they were more like swords. It looked like something out of an urban war movie.

"My god, Mike..." She breathed.

"I've been keeping track of everything that has been happening in and around Washington Mountain ever since that night." Mike began to explain. "Did you know two rescue workers went missing in the mines after we were picked up and interviewed? And every year since then, there has been mysterious deaths in the areas nearby?"

"...No" Sam admitted.

"They keep saying it's bears. Always bears." Mike growled in frustration. "What the world needs is proof. They need a body of one of those things so that everyone will know the truth and we can finally eradicate them once and for all!"

"There's no way to know for sure-" She began to argue.

"Sam." Mike said sternly. "You and I both know. The wendigos aren't gone."

"This is crazy, Mike! Don't you think that red-neck stranger we met that day would've proved their existence if it were that easy?" Sam pointed out. "You know how strong and fast those things are and how hard they are to kill! You wouldn't stand a chance!"

Mike took a deep breath before continuing. "Sam, I've been training..."

"Give me a damn break!" Sam exclaimed, rising to her feet and began pacing the room, carefully not to step on any of Mike's numerous weapons.

"It's taken a while, but I'm pretty good now with fire arms, incendiary rounds, flamethrowers and close quarter combat. That old man was right to hunt them and as far as we know he kept them from spreading! I'm younger than he was, I've had a few years to prepare, I've got the equipment I need and I will get proof of what's going on!"

"You'll vanish like Hannah, Beth and Josh and no one will ever know what happened except the rest of us!" Sam insisted. "We got lucky back then, pure and simple. Don't you get it? You will die!"

A look of sadness spread across her friend's face. "I already feel dead, Sam. Actually dying can't feel much worse."

Sam stopped pacing and stared down at Mike as tears began welling up in his eyes. When he began to speak, his voice cracked. "I don't go anywhere at night if I can help it. I can't do woods, I can't go cross country, I can't even bring myself to see my parents out east! I'm terrified, every night until dawn. I can't sleep because all I see is dried blood on the walls, skeletons behind every door I open and every shadow has a damn wendigo lurking, waiting to jump me! I hear those shrieks in my head over and over again. I see Jessica falling in the corner of my eye every time I turn around. And my two missing fingers won't stop friggin' hurting!"

"Mike..." Sam said with empathy.

"I will never get over this, Sam. And as long as there is a single one of those...those...monsters out there I will never be able to start a new life. You get it now? I have to go back. Because no matter how it will end for me, at least it _will_ end!"

Quietly, Sam sat right next to Mike as he buried his face into his hands. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, then leaned in and wrapped her arms around his middle. She let her tears fall freely, staining his checkered shirt. Mike kept weeping, all his past regrets flooding in at once.

"I put Jessica in danger and failed to save her. I...oh god...I aimed a gun at Em and nearly shot her! When Hannah attacked us in the mines I left Josh to die and saved my own skin without even _trying_ to save him! He needed our help the most and I hit him repeatedly, tied him up and abandoned him! Who does that and tries to have a normal life? I can't live with this anymore, Sam. I can't..."

"Please don't do this, Mike." Sam begged, crying. "I've lost too many friends to this already! I don't want to lose you too! You proved you cared for us, you risked your life many times to help us, and did everything in your power to save our friends. You aren't a bad person, Mike! Please, you have to listen to me!"

But Mike kept shaking his head, hands still covering his face, "I can't! I just can't..."

Sam pulled back, her lips trembling, "Mike, I swear, if you do this, I will go back to the mountain looking for you!"

That got Mike's attention, causing him to look at her in panic. "Don't say that!"

"Why not? You think I haven't thought about going back and making sure nothing was left? I jump at shadows too, Mike. I have trouble sleeping and I also regret many things I did and didn't do. You tried cutting yourself off from us so you could go back unnoticed. Well guess what? I do know and I will follow you all the way up there until you realize how stupid you're being!"

"This has to be done, Sam!" Mike insisted. "More people will get hurt!"

"But not this way! Not you!" Sam snapped back.

"Little miss 'always right' Samantha! Is that it? You know best for frikkin' everyone!?" Mike challenged.

"I'm usually the one with my head on straight!" She countered.

"Dammit, Sam, you can be such a b-!" Mike stopped himself.

"A what, Mike? I can be such a what?!"

Mike stared at Sam intently, "The most caring person I've ever known!"

"I..." Sam she was at a loss for words. "What?"

Mike looked away from her and stared at the wall, rubbing his knuckles against each other, trying to cool down. When he spoke again, he was clenching his teeth.

"You think I guy like me doesn't notice when a girl has such self respect she doesn't swoon at everything he says? I've always...admired you, Sam. But that night, during those hellish hours we went through, you proved to be the kind of girl I always thought you were; the best of the best. Everything you did, being the only one to tell me not to kill Em, bravely saving my life not once but twice, and now threatening to put yourself in danger so I won't go back to Blackwood makes me feel for you more and more, because I'm not sure if I would do the same in your place."

Sam felt at a loss, her heart and mind pulling her in different direction. "I don't understand. What are you saying?"

Letting out a loud breath through his nose, Mike answered. "I'm saying that you win! I won't go back. I care for you too much to hurt you."

Sam could only sit on Mike's couch, stunned. "I...I don't know what to say..."

Mike gave a soft laugh. Nothing demeaning or playful. It seemed more like he was laughing at their situation as a whole. "We went from talking about killing monsters to love confessions in about three seconds flat. I don't expect you to say anything."

Rising to his feet, Mike nodded, as though he had reached an agreement to himself. "I spent years preparing myself to go through with this, but if it means that much to you, Sam, then I'll put it to rest. I don't like it. I think I never will, but for your sake, I promise not to return to Blackwood Pines."

Still sitting on the couch, Sam couldn't help but notice the faint smile of Mike's face, like deep down inside he had been relieved of a terrible weight.

"You swear?" She asked cautiously. "You're not lying to me?"

"I'm not. I would never lie to you, Sam." He said with a dead serious tone.

The next thing she knew, Sam was standing up, hugging Mike as hard as she could, her athletic frame pressed close to his. She was smiling with joy and relief, happy that Mike had conceded. Mike slowly hugged back, his tired face finally showing some color.

"I don't know what to do now." Mike admitted.

"Don't worry." Sam reassured him. "We'll think of something."

10 months later

Sam's Apartment

10:09 pm.

"So how is little baby Eric?" Sam said cutely as she watched a live feed on her phone of Chris and Ashely's third child.

"He won't let mommy and daddy sleep, isn't that right my little screamer?" Ash answered as she cuddled the infant, wrapped in layers and layers of blankets. "Chris said this one is going to be our last."

"Got that right!" Chris' voice sounded somewhere in the background, playing with the girls.

"We're taking steps, but," Ashley whispered, "I love kids too much! Another one just might 'accidentally' pop up in the future."

"Heard that!" Chris called out, causing his wife to giggle.

"I'm so happy for you guys!" Sam smiled, eyeing the time. _He should be back any minute.._.

"And how are things with you?" Ashley inquired. "Have you tamed your Prince Charming yet?"

"I don't think Mike can ever be truly 'tamed', but he has learned to behave himself. We're supposed to be seeing a fancy stage play tonight..."

"Well, you let us know when he finally decides to pop the big question." Ashley winked.

"Yeah, can he go hook back up with Emily?" Chris joked, laughing.

"Honey, that's not funny!"

The doorbell sounded just as Sam was about to give a witty retort.

"He's here! I'll call you guys later!"

Sam put her phone in her purse and headed to the front door, taking a brief moment to look at herself in the mirror. After checking her hair and smoothing out her black dress, Sam unlocked her door and opened it to the sight of her boyfriend in a sharp tuxedo, casually leaning against her door frame, a white bouquet of lilacs in his hands.

"Is my lady ready for a night of classical romance?" Mike asked, using his silver tongue to the best of its ability.

"And what am I to expect?" Sam smiled, playing along as she batted her eyes at him.

"Fine dinning, a wonderful theatrical spectacle, ending with blissful love under the full moon." Mike gestured as he spoke, like some Shakespearean actor, which he certainly wasn't.

Reaching out to grab his silk tie, Sam pulled her boyfriend in close flirtatiously. "Mmm, I think I know which one of those I'd rather have first."

Closing the gap between them, Sam met Mike in a deep kiss, one that lingered on until they lost track of time. Both were blushing as they pulled away, smiling sweetly at one another.

"If we don't go now," Mike said, his lips tingling, "We'll miss our reservations."

"I don't care," Sam whispered, pulling Mike inside and closing the door behind them, happy that they were finally starting to heal.

 _The End_

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 **I hoped you enjoyed this little story! Thanks for reading!  
**


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